Duplicating machine



April 8, 1930.

w. K. MOLL 1,753,442

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DUPLICATING MACHINE Filed Nov 12, 1928 "I ShetS-Sheet 2 V M014 L w. K. MOLL 1,753,442

DUPLICATING MACHINE Filed NOV. 12, 1928 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 April 8, 1930.

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W. K. MOLL Fild NOV. 12, 1928 DUPLICATING MACHINE pril s, 1930.

Patented Apr. 8, 1930 UNiien STATES WILHELM K. MOLL, or

DUPLICA'IING MAonInn Application filed November 12, 1928. Serial no; 318,808.

This invention relates to duplicating or multiple copying machines of the type em-' ploying a gelatin matrix on which a master sheet is first impressed, and from which cop ies to the desired number are taken, the mas ter and copy sheets being impressed on the matrix by a roller in a platen carnage traveling over the matrix.

The improvements of the present lnvention have been designed more particularly for billing operations, to faclitate the preparation of customers bills by public utility and other corporations who issue many thousands of monthly bills to individual customers; and in the preferred form of the invent on, hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, the machine is adapted to simultaneously take impressions from a plurality of master sheets containing original bills, and subsequently. reprint the same on a single wide copy sheet which may subsequently be divided into individual bills corresponding. to the bills on the ndividual master sheets. g I

A popular form of'bill at present extensively employed consists of a slip carrying a'printed form suitably ruled to provide on the left half data such as the period covered and the meter readings and on the right half the total units consumed, the amount of the gross bill, and the amount of the net bill if paid on or before a discount day; the name and address of the customer appearing in association with the items on the right hand half; Attached to the right hand end of the bill slip, usually by a scored or perforated line, is a stub on'which is printed the identical matter appearing on the right hand halfof the main bill slip. The original or master 40 sheet, after the impression thereofhas been made on the machine, is retained by the coin pany. The copy consisting of the slip and its stub above described is mailed to the customer. If the customer pays by check, he mails in his check, together with the stub, which latter is then checked with the original bill and if payment is correct both are withdrawn from current records and filed away;

the customer keeping the main portion of the bill for hisrecords' If payment is made PATENT "OFFICE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR '10 DIT'IO, INQ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS by cash, both the main and stub sections are stamped receipted, the main section is handed to the customer, and the stub is retained by the company and checked up and filed away for'billing purposes forming the subject-matter of an application filed February 15, 1928 in the name of John J. Flanigan, Serial No. 254,334, and owned by the assignee of the present application; performing the same work as the machine of the aforesaid application, and being in the general-nature of an improvement thereon One. object ofthe present invention hasbeen to render a machine of this charactermore fully automatic. In the machines of both applications the platen carriage is reciprocated by power. In the said-Flanigan application the reciprocations of the platen carriage are controlled by a pedal lever. In the machine of the present application the pedal lever control is dispensed with, and the reciprocations of-the platen carriage are controlled by andfrom the yoke or frame of the platen roller which.

presses the master and copy sheets onto the 'matriX and rolls them out on the latter; In

the machines of both applications, the platen carriage is power driven on its working stroke,'and returned by aspring, the drive of the carriage being automatically un clutched at the termination of each working stroke,'and another object of the invention has been to provide an improved and simpli-c fied form of clutch and automatic clutch dis- 'generall'yi'similar to a duplicating machine engaging mechanism controlling the power r transmission to the platen carriage. A further object has been to provide, in association with an electric power drive, an. automatic switch by which the electric motor is energized when the platen carriage isswung to workingposition and is automatically deenergized when the platen carriage is swung 1 to idle position. A still further object of the present invention has been to provide an improved automatically operated stop device for determining the position of the master sheet on the matrix during the first printing operation. 7

Still other objects and attendant advantages of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated a practical and workable embodiment of the invention and in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of'the complete machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan View, partly in section, on the line 22 of Fig. 1

' Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing the starting position of the master sheet;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail through the platen carriage and margin bar, showing two through the carriage actuating screw, the

circuit switch, and parts associated therewith, taken on'the line 88 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal vertical section, taken on the line 9'9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal longitudinal section through the circuit switch and its actuating means,'taken on the line 10'10 of Fig. 1;

Figs 11, 12 and 13 are detail side elevations of the platen carriage drive mechanism and its controls, showing different positions of the latter;

Figs. 14 and 15 are details illustrating second and third positions of the cam plate through which the platen carriage drive is disconnected V Fig. 16 is a group View showing a group of master bills such as are simultaneously impressed on the duplicating bed;

Fig. 17 is a view of a multiple copy sheet on which thebills shown in Fig. 16 have been printed on both the main sections and the stubs.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates each of a pair of upright skeleton side frame members, the upper horizontal limbs 10 of which are connected and spaced by horizontal tie-rods 11. 'Monnted on the tie-rods 11 are cushion blocks 12, on which latter are secured the feet 13 of a pair of vertical side plates 14 that, in turn, support the horizontal bed 15 (Fig. 3) of the machine. In and between the front and rear ends of the side plates 14 are removably journaled the usual rolls or spools 16 ig. 3) on which the gelatin duplicating apron or band 17 is wound, the

shaft 23(Fig. 3) fast on which is a yoke frame 24 carrying a platen roller 25 which serves to roll the sheet out of the duplicating band after the frame 24 has been pushed forwardly and downwardly by a handle 26 thereon. ihe roll 25 cooperates with a spring-pressed paper gripping roll 27 to grip the sheet and positively carry it down onto the duplicating band. The yoke 24, when released from a lock hereinafter described at the end of the return travel of the carriage,

is raised to the position shown in Fig. 3 by a spring 28. Mounted on the carriage 22 is an upwardly and forwardly inclined pan 29 to support the sheets as they are positioned on the machine preparatory to impressing them on the duplicating band. Mounted on the pan 28 so as to be adjustable lengthwise of the latter is a group of sheet spacers or dividers 30, each formed with an upstanding rib 31 on one longitudinal edge thereof, said ribs dividing the pan into a plurality of compartments to receive a corresponding plurality of master sheets or slips. In the instance shown, the lateral adj ustability of the spacers or dividers 30 is effected by means 7 of a flange 30 on the upper end of each spacer that overhangs the upper edge of a strip 32 attached to the under side of the upper edge of the pan 29, and a binding screw 33 threaded through the flange and bearing against the strip 32; the lower edge of the spacer 30 being hooked beneath the lower edge of the pan 29, as shown at 34 in Fig. By this means the several slip compartments on the pan may be widened or narrowed to fit varying widths of master sheets or slips.

At the front or receiving end of the machine and supported between the side plates 14 is a margin bar or plate 35 that is equipped with three stops for determining the posii tions of the lower end edges of the sheets at the inception of the printing operations. The rearmost stop consists of an undercut strip 36 3); the foremost stop consists of a notched strip 37 mounted on the forward edge of the plate 35, and the intermediate step consists of a group of fingers 38 fast on a shaft 39 journaled beneath the plate 35; the latter being slotted, as shown at 40 in Fig. 2, to permit the fingers 38 to pass therethrough as the shaft 39 is turned. Fast onone end of the shaft 39 is a disc 41 (Figs. 3 and 7 formed with three peripheral-teeth 42 spaced 120 apart, one of, said teeth being engaged, during each return movement of the platen carriage, by a pivotally mounted finger 43 on the rear of the carriage 22.; the finger 43 being pushed downwardly to operating posi tion by a thrust spring 44, and riding idly over'the disc 41 during the forward travel of the platen carriage. At each third return movement of the carriage the stop fingers 31 assume their operativeposition shown in Fig. 3, to serve the master sheets during the first printing operation. During the second and third printing operations the stop fingers 38 are beneath the plate 35 and out of the way.

'Describing next the power mechanism for effecting the forward printing movements of the platen carriage, and referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 8 to 15 inclusive, 45 designates as anentirety an electric motor mounted on a bracket 46 attached to one of the upright posts of the machine frame. On the armature shaft of themotor is a worm 47 that drives a worm wheel 48 fast on the forward end of the shaft 20. Said shaft 20 is formed through a portion of. its length with a screw thread 20. Screwed into one end of the carriage hinge yoke 21 (see Fig. 9) is a block 49, the bore'of which slidably fits the shaft 20, including the threaded portion 20 thereof. This block is formed in its lower portion with a transverse slot 50 and a longitudinal slot 51 intersecting the lower portion of slot 50. Slidable vertically in the transverse slot 50 isa half-nut 52, the lower portion of which has a slot 53 registering with the slot 51. Journaled in one end of the block 49 is a'trans verseshaft 54, and pinned to this shaft and lying in the slots 51 and 53 is an arm 55, the forwardend of which extends beyond the slot 51 and carries a laterally extending stud 56. The portion of the arm that extends through the slot 53 of the half-nut52 has an oblong slot 57, through which and the half nu't 53-extendsza pin 58.

Loosely pivoted on the shaft 54 is a link 59, and fast on the end of shaft '54 beyond the link 59 is a ratchetdisc 60 formed with single upstanding inverted V -shaped tooth that cooperates in the manner hereinafter described with a spring pawl61that is attached to the upper edge of the link 59. The.

other end of link 59 is pivotally connected at 62 to the lower end of arm 63 that is fast on and depends from'a projecting end of the spindle 25 of the platen roller 25. With the parts as shown in Fig. 11- the half-nut 52 is in lowered position disengaged from the screw 20, the platen roller is in the elevated position shown in Fig. 3, and the spring pawl 61 is engaged behind the tooth of the ratchet 60. When the platen roller is swung clownwardly to carry a sheet of paper onto the tooth of the ratchet 60.

makes its first return travel, by the -mecha-' printing bed, the arm 63 is carried downwardly'and its lower end swung rearwardly to the position shown in Fig.- '12. Asaresult of this movement the spring pawl 61 acting through the ratchet 60 rocks the shaft 54 in a direction to swing the arm 55 upwardly, carrying the half-nut 52 into engagement with the screw 20. .The .depression of the platen roller energizes the motor, by means hereinafter described, and the revolution of the screw 20 causes the carriage to advance 7 on which is a cam plate 65 formed with three cams 6,6, 67 and 68 and having a hub. 69 in the periphery of which are three countersunk ratchet teeth 70. vPinned or'otherwise secured to the out-er face ofthe cam -plate '65 is a triangular ratchet plate 71 formed with three teeth 72 spaced 120 apart. The cams 6.6, 67 and 68 of the cam "plate 65'lie in the path of travel of the stud 56 on the forward end of the arm 55; and pivoted at 731to the sliding block 49 is a hook-pawl 74 lying in the plane of the ratchet-plate 71, the hook 74 .of which is beveled on its back side to ride over the upper edge of the cam plate-71 as the platen carriage advances. The hook pawl 74 is normally pressed downwardly by alight spring 75, and its downward movement is limited by a stop pin 76. On the first advance travel of the platencarriage, during which themaster sheets are being impressed on the matrix, as soon as the printed portion of the master sheet has been fully impressed on the matrix the stud 56 strikes the cam 66, and the arm 55 is thereby forced clownwardly, disengaging the half-nut 52 from the screw 20, and thus arresting further ad- Vance travel of the platen carriage. At-this time the cam plate 65 is locked against-backward rotation by a dogging pawl 77 attached to the side frame 14 and having itspointed end engaged with the; periphery of the toothed hub 69 of the cam plate. At this point the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 13, the hook pawl 74 having traveled beyond the ratchet plate 71, and the tip of the spring pawl 61 resting on thetip of the As the carriage nism hereinafter described, the hook pawl 74 engages the uppermost tooth 72 .of the ratchet plate 71, and turns the cam plate 65 clockwise, viewing Fig. 11, 120, thus bringing the cam 67 to the working position shown in Fig. ,14,the arm 55 and half-nut 52 being I retained by gravity in the lowered position.

downwardly it is lockedin working position When the platen roller yoke is swung until automatically released at the end of the return travel of the carriage. This locking mechanism, which is shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 6, consists of the following. Pivoted at 78 to the inner side of one end wall of the platen carriage 22 is a'depending pawl 79, formed with an arm 80 that overhangs the upper edge and outer side of said wall, to which arm is connected, at a point below the pivot 78 a pull spring 81 anchored to a stud 82 on the end Wall of the carriage frame 22. The spring 81 urges the pawl 79 to the left, viewing Fig. 6, so that, when the platen roller 23 is depressed, the tip of the pawl 79 enters a notch 83 in the upper edge of the platen roller yoke, and thereby locks the latter and the platen roller in lowered position. As the carriage reaches the end of its return travel, the arm 80 strikes an adjustable stop 84 mounted in a bracket 85 on one of the side plates 14, and thereby swings the pawl 79 off the platen roller carriage, permitting the latter to rise under the influence of the spring 28. This shifts the parts to'the positions shown in'Fig. 11, but with the cam 67 occupying the position formerly occupied by the cam 66, and the dogging pawl 77 engaged with the next notch of the ratchet hub 69.

On the second advance travel of the platen carriage, the same cycle of operations above described occurs, and on the second return travel of the carriage, the cam plate 65 1s shifted to bring the cam 68 into the working position shown in Fig. 15. The location of the cam 68 on the cam plate is such that, when brought to working position, it occupies a position considerably nearer to the stud 56 than the cams 66 and 67 thus resulting in a shorter advance travel of the carriage during the third printing operatlon, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. In this connection it may be stated that the exact point at which the carriage is arrested on its return travel is determined by a stop screw 86 mounted in the hinge yoke 21 coming into engagement with one of the arms 19 of the frame.

Describing next the spring-actuated mechanism for eifecting return travel. of the platen carriage, and referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 5, at 87 is pivoted to the inner side of one of the side plates 1 the lower end of an upstanding lever 88 that projects through a slot 15 (Fig. 2) in a side edge portion of the bed plate 15 and is formed on its upper end with a nose 88 that abuts against a forwardly projecting lug 89 of the carriage frame Pivoted on a pin 90 (Fig. extending inwardly from the side plate ii is a guide rod 91 on which is mounted a slide block 92 that is connected by a pin 93 with the lever 88. Encircling the guide rod 91 and bearing at one end against the slide block 92 and at its other end'footed against an abutment washer 94 is a thrust spring 95. As the carriage advances on its forward travel, the thrust spring 95 is compressed, and as soon as the drive is interrupted, the reaction of the spring 95 returns the carriage to starting position. To steady the action and hold the return travel speed of the carriage to the desired point, the action of the spring 95 is preferably checked by a dash-pot 96, the

plunger of which is pivoted to an arm 97 on the lever 88.

Describing next the means whereby the motor is automatically started when the platen carriage is swung downwardly on its hinge shaft 20 to working position on the bed, and automatically stopped when the carriage is swung upwardly to the dotted line position indicated in Fig. 5, mounted on a bracket 98 secured to and supported on one of the frame bars 10 is an insulating plate 99 (Figs. 8 and 10), on and lengthwise of which is attached as by screws 100 a switch bar 101. Also mounted on the insulating strip 99 opposite the inner side of the fixed switch bar 101 is a laterally shiftable switch bar 102. The circuit of the motor, in part represented by the line wires 103 and 104 is made and broken between the switch bars 101 and 102, for which purpose the bar 102 is provided near its ends with a pair of contactpins 105 cooperating with contact buttons 106 on the inner side of switch bar 101. The contact members 105 and 106 are normally urged apart by thrust springs 107 between the adjacent sides of the switch bars; and the separation of the switch bars is limited by stop screws 108 mounted in the switch bar 102, with their heads located in sockets 109 in the switch bar 101. In the outer side of the traveling block 49 which, it will be remembered, is fast with the hinge yoke 21 of the platen carriage, is a spring-pressed plunger 110 that projects beyond the outer side of the block 49 and is located below the axis of the pivot shaft 20. When the platen carriage is in the elevated position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5, the plunger 110 is out of contact with the switch bar 102, and the springs 107 force the switch bars apart, breaking the circuit. riage is swung downwardly to working position, the plunger 110 strikes the switch bar 102 and forcesit inwardly, closing the circuit through one or both of the contacts 105, 106, and holding the circuit closed in all positions of the platen carriage lengthwise of the bed. The employmentof two pairs of contacts near the ends of the switch bars insures that the circuit will be closed through one pair or the other, even though the switch bar 102 should rock endwise slightly when the thrust of the plunger 110 is operating on one end portion thereof.

In case it should be desired to operate the platen carriage by hand, instead of by power,

a simple device, best shown in Fig. 8, 1s em- When the platen cara iie means adapted to enter the space betweenthe upper end of the half-nut 52 and the transverse wall of the notch in which the half-nut lies, when the latter is in lowered position. The latch 111 is yieldably held in either operative or inoperative position by means of an inward-- ly and upwardly bent shank 113 thereon andan over-the-center push spring 114 operating between the shank 113 and the verticalw'all of a bracket 115 that is attached to the top :of the block 49. The upstanding shank 113 of the latch constitutes a handy thumbpiece by which the latch may be shifted betwee its idle and operative positions.

When the platen carriageis operated by hand, it is pushed back and forth by handle 26. And since the operating connection from the platen roller to the half-nut is yieldable at ratchet 60 and spring pawl 61, the platen roller can be depressed onto the bed when the half-nut 52 is locked out by the latch toe 111'.

At such times it is desirable to lock the carriage returning mechanism inoperative, and for this purpose I form in the side plate 14130 which the lever 88 is pivoted a key-hole 116 (Fig. 3), through which a key 116 may be inserted from the outside when the lever 88 is in its rearmost position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the key acting as a stop' against the lever to prevent its return swing under the thrust of spring 95.

For greater convenience and celerity in operating the machine, the rear portion of the frame thereof is preferably extended upwardly as shown at 10 in Fig. lto carry a plate or shelf 117 on which is mounted a cabinet containing one or more tiers of compartments 118 for containing the master sheets and also the copy sheets ifdesired, the front open ends of said compartments lying just behind andabove the upper end of the guide pan 28, so that the operatorv readily draws the sheets out and loads the pan from the compartments.

The operation of the machine has to a considerable extent already been indicated in connection with the description of its mechanism, but may be briefly outlined as follows. With the platen carriage in its fully retracted position and swung upwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 5, the operator draws from one of the compartments 118 a plurality of the master sheets M, Fig. 16, and lays them in the compartments onthe pan 28, with the printed side of the sheet lowermost, and the right hand end of the sheet, as shown in Fig. 16, downward. It will be observed from Fig. 16 that the last column on the master sheet is blank, and the width of this column is equal to the distance between the inat this time are in "their upstanding position) and the rearedge ofthe printing bed. The.

master sheets are slipped-downwardly until their lower edges abut against the stops 38, as shown in Fig. 3. -The operator then lowers the platen carriage onto the bed, which'operation closes the motor circuit through theswitch bars 101 and 102, starting the motor in operation, andcausing the shaft 20; to revolve. The operator then by a forward push on theyoke handle 26 depresses the platen roller-'25 which forcesthe sheet ontothe bed, the platen roller-being automatically locked;

in depressed position *by the pawl 79. This depression of the platen roller, through arm- 63 and link 59 shifts the half-nut52 into engagement with the revolvingscrew 20,-and the carriage moves forwardly, the platen roller impressing the master sheet on the matrix 1 bed; 'Atthe completion of the" forward movement, the drive is interrupted by the camj66, and thereupon the platen carriageis returned to starting position by the lever 88 actuated by the spring 95, and cam 66 is shift-' ed out of the way. and is replacedby cam During this return travel of the carriage the master sheet's arepeeled 0E, and at the end" of such travel released by the'automatic dis- 1 engagement of the platen roller lock 79, permitting the platen roller to rise under the ac-. tion of spring 28. A copy sheet C, Fig. 17, is then drawn from the cabinet and laid face down on the ribs 31 ofthe pan, audit is then slid downwardly and rearwardly to occupy the position shown by dotted'lines'in Fig. 4,

wherein the 'lower end of the sheet (cor're-* sponding to the right hand end viewing Fig.

17 abuts against the rear stop 36 ofthe mar- 1 gin bar. The'dis'tance from the stop 36 to' the rear end ofthe printing bed is equal to the width of'the stub'portion C of the copy sheet C, so that during the next printing operation that portion of the sheet receives no'impression." The platen roller having been thrown down, the half-nut 52 isagain engaged with the screw 20- and "the platen carriage again makes a full length stroke, the drive being then interrupted by contact of the stud 56 with the cam 67. During the second return travel of the carriage the cam plate65 is again rotated through 120, bringing the short stroke ca1n68 into'working position, the im-- pressed port-ion of the copy sheet isfpeeled v0E, andthe copy "sheet is then drawn forwardly and upwardly on the pan'28 and its lower edge is rested inenga'gement with the stop 37, as shown in dot and dashlines in Fig. 1 4. The platen roller having been again low-' ered', the'carriage then makes a half or short stroke, its drive being interrupted by the cam 68 when the carriage-has traveled far enough I to print the stub portion of the'bill on the copy sheet, the same consisting of the printed matterappearing' on, the' right hand half of the master sheet. 'The lastt'wo-printingop erations result in the production of the complete bill and stub as shown in Fig. 17 During the final portion of each return travel of the platen carriage, the shaft 39 carrying the stop fingers 38 is given a third of a revolution by the pawl-l8 and the ratchet 43, so that at the end of the third return travel-the stop fingers 38 are again brought into operative position. The desired copies having thus been made from a group of master sheets, the

of commission by simply pressing the latch shank 113 to the right, viewing Fig. 8, which locks the half-nut 52 against engagement with the revolving screw 20 and by locking the carriage return lever 88 in idle position by a key inserted through the key-hole 116. The

platen carriage may then be reciprocated manually over the bed by the handle 26, the machine then operating in the same manner as an ordinary duplicating machine of this type.

By the machine herein described very rapid printing of the master and copy sheets can be effected by a skilled operative, and hand labor in manipulating the platen carriage back and i forth over the bed is avoided. An important advantage of the present machine resides in thejfact that the platen carriage drive is automatically connected up by the same forward push of the handle 26 that depresses the platen ;roller and the sheet onto the printing bed;

and another important advantage resides in the automatic starting and stopping of the motor by the swinging movements of the platen carriage to and from working position.

While I have described the machine as adapted for getting out bills of the kind herein illustrated, it is manifest that the machine might be employed to advantage for printing other matter either by successive carriage movements of different lengths or of the same length, since manifestly the carriage movements may be rendered uniform in point of length by making all of the controlling cams on the cam plate uniform and equally spaced. Many changes in the details of the machine may obviously be resorted to without'departing from the operative principle thereof or sacrificing any of the advantages secured, and hence I reserve all such variations, modifications and mechanical equivalents as fall within the spirit and purview of the claims.

I claim 1. In a duplicating machine, the combination with a printing bed and a platen carriage reciprocable thereover, of a margin bar'- at one end of the bed, a fixed paper sheet stop on said margin bar, a shiftable paper sheet stop spaced from said fixed stop, and means whereby to shift said stop fingers into and outof operative position.

3. In a duplicating machine, the combination with a printing bed, and a platen carriage reciprocable thereover, of a slotted margin bar at one end of the bed, a fixed paper sheet stop on said margin bar, a shaft journaled beneath said margin bar, stop fingers on said shaft movable through the slots of said margin bar as said shaft is turned, and means actuated by the platen carriage on its return travel, serving to impart a partial rotation to said shaft whereby to shift said stop fingers into and out of operative position.

4. In a duplicating machine, the combination with a printing bed, and a platen carriage reciprocable thereover, of a slotted margin bar at one end of the bed, a fixed paper sheet stop on said margin bar, a shaft journaled beneath said margin bar, stop fingers on said shaft movable through the slots of said margin bar as said shaft is turned, a.

ratchet on said shaft, and a pawl on said carriage adapted to impart, through said ratchet aopartial rotation to said shaft on each return travel of said carriage.

5. In a duplicating machine, the combination with a frame, a printing bed mounted thereon, and a platen carriage reciprocable over said bed, of a motor, transmission mechanism, including a rotatable screw shaft driven by said motor and a cooperating half nut carried by said platen carriage, and automatic means for disengaging said half-nut from said screw shaft at the end of a predetermined forward travel of said carriage.

6. In a duplicating machine, the combination witha frame, a printing bed mounted thereon, and a platen carriage reciprocable over said bed, of a-motor', transmission mech anism, including a rotatable screw shaft driven by said motor and a cooperating halfnut carried by said platen carriage, automaticmeans for disengaging said half-nut from said screw shaft at the end of a predetermined forward travel of said carriage, and

automatic means for effecting the. return travel of said carriage.

7; In aduplicating machine, the combination with a frame, a printing bed mounted thereon, and a'platencarriage reciprocable over said bed, of amotor, transmission mechanism, including a rotatable screw shaft driven by said motor and a cooperating halfnut carried by said platen carriage, automatic means for disengaging said half-nut from said screw shaft at the end of a predetermined forward travel of said carriage,

and spring-actuated means for effecting the a. return travel of said carriage.

8. In a duplicating machine, the combination with a frame, a printing bed mounted thereon, a platen carriage reciprocable over said bed, and a platen roller in said carriage movable toward'and from the bed, of a motor,

transmission mechanism, including separable 7 driving and driven elements, between said motor and carriage, means actuated by the movement of said roller onto the bed bring- :3 mg said separable elements into engagement,

- 2 ing element geared to said motor and a driven element mounted on said carriage and movable into and out of engagement with said driving element, means actuated" by the movement of said roller onto the bed bringing said driven element into engagement with said driving element, and means for disengaging said elements at the end of a predetermined forward travel of said carriage.

10. In a duplicating machine,the combination with a frame, a printing bed mounted thereon, a platen carriage reciprocable over said bed, and a platen roller 1n sa1d carriage movable toward and from the bed, of a motor, transmission mechanism lncludlng a screw shaft geared to said motor and ahalfnut mounted on said carriage and slidable into and out of engagement with said screw shaft, means actuated by the movement of said roller onto the bed for engaging said half-nut with said screw shaft, and means for disen 'a in said half-nut at the end of a e: p predeterm ned forward travel of said carriage.

11. In a duplicating machine, the combination with a frame, a printing bed mounted thereon, and a platen carriage reciprocable over said bed, of a motor, transmission mechanism, including a rotatable screw shaft driven by said motor and a cooperating halfnut carried by said platen carriage, and automatic means for disengaging said half-nut from said screw shaft at the end of each of successive variable length forward movements of said carriage.

12. In a duplicating machine, the combination with afra'me, a printing bed mounted thereon, and aplaten carriage reciprocable over said bed, of a motor, transmission mechanism, including a screw shaft gearedto said motor and a half-nut mounted onsaid carriage and movable into and out of engagement with said screw shaft, an arm pivoted in said platen, carriage on which said half-f nut is mounted, and a cam mounted on sa d frame engageable with said arm at the :end of a predetermined forward travel of said carriage to disengagesaid half nut from said screw shaft. v a

13. In a duplicating machine, the combina-- tion with a frame, a printing bed mounted thereon, a platen carriage reciprocable over said bed, and a platen roller in said carriage movable toward andfrom the bed, of a motor,

transmission mechanism including a screw shaft geared to said motor and a half-nut mounted on said carriage and movable into and out of engagement with said screw shaft,

an arm pivoted in said platen carriage on which said half-nut is mounted, a cam mounted on said frame engageable with said arm at the end of a predetermined forward travel of said carriage to disengagesaid half-nut from said screw-shaft, and means connect ing said platen roller and said arm through which the latter is swung to engage said halfnut with said shaft when said platen roller is moved onto said bed.

14. In a duplicating, machine, the combi nation with a frame, a printing bed mounted thereon, and a platen carr1agerec1procable over said bed, of a motor, transmission mechanism, including a screw shaft geared to said,

motor, and a half-nut mounted on said carriage and movable into and out of engage ment with said screwshaft, an arm pivoted in said platen carriage on which. said half-nut is mounted, a cam plate carrying a plurality of cams pivoted on said frame, said cams being respectively engageable with said arm at the end of successive variable length forward movements of said carriage to disengage said half-nut from said screw shaft, and

means for turningsaid cam plate to thereby bring another cam' into working position during each return travelof said carriage.

15. In a duplicating machine, the combination with a frame, a printing bed mounted thereon, and a platencarriage reciprocable over said bed, of a motor, transmission mechanism, including a screw shaft geared to said motor, and a half-nut mounted on' said carriage and movable into and out of engage V ment with said screw shaft, an arm pivoted in said platen carriage on which said halfnut is mounted, a cam plate carrying a plurality of cams pivoted on said frame, said cams being respectively engageable with said arm at the end of successive variable length forward movements of said carriage to disengage said half-nut from said screw;

shaft, a ratchet fast with said cam plate, and a pawl on said carriage engaging said ratchet during each return travel of said carriage.

16. In a duplicating machine, the combination with a frame, a printing bed mounted thereon, and a platen carriage reciprocable over I said bed, said platen carriage being hinged at one end thereof on said frame, of anelectric motor, transmission mechanism between said motor and carriage whereby the latter is moved over said bed, a normally open switch in the circuit of said motor, and means actuated by said platen carriage when the latteris swung downwardly to working position for closing said switch and maintaining the same closed during the travel of said carriage,

17(In a duplicating machine, the combination with a frame, a printing bed mounted thereon, and a platen carriage reciproeable over said bed, said platen carriage being hinged at one end thereof on said frame, of

an electric motor, transmission mechanism between said motor and carriage whereby the latter is moved over said bed, a normally open switch in the circuit of said motor, means actuated by said platen carriage when the latter is swung downwardly to working position for closing said switch and maintaining the same closed during the travel of said carriage, and automatic means for opening said switch when said carriage is swung upwardly out of working position.

18. In. a duplicating machine, the combination. with a frame, a printing bed mounted thereon, and a platen carriage reciprocable over said bed, said platen carriage being hingedat one end thereof on said frame, of an electric motor, transmission mechanism between said motor and carriage whereby the latter is moved over said bed, a pair of switch bars in the circuit of said motor mounted on said frame parallel with the path of travel of said carriage, spring means nor,- mally. maintaining said switch bars separated, and means actuated by said platen carriage when the latter is swung downwardly to working position for shifting one of said switch bars into contact with the other to thereby close the motor circuit.

' 19.;7In a duplicating machine, the combi nation with a frame, a printing bed mounted thereon, a platen carriage reciprocable over said bed, and a bodily movable platen roller T in said carriage, of a motor, and transmission mechanism therefrom to said carriage including separable driving and driven ele- 1nents, a yieldable connection between said platen roller and one of said separable elements throughwhich the latter are brought into engagement with each other when said platen roller is depressed onto the bed, and means for locking said separable elements apart topermit manual operation of said platen carriage.

20. In a duplicating machine, the combination with a frame, a printing bed mounted thereon, a platen carriage reciprocable over said bed, and a platen roller in said carriage movable toward and from said bed, of a motor, transmission mechanism therefrom to said carriage including a screw shaft geared to said motor and a half-nut mounted on said carriage and slidable into and out of engagement with said screw shaft, a yieldable con nection between said platen roller and said half-nut, through which the latter is brought into engagement with said screw shaft when said platen roller is depressed onto said bed, and means for locking said half-nut out of engagement with said screw shaft to permit manual operation of said platen carriage.

21. In a duplicating machine, the combination with a frame, a printing bed mounted thereon, a platen carriage reciprocable over said bed, a bodily movable platen roller in said carriage, and a manual push handle on said carriage, of a motor, and transmission mechanism therefrom to said ca riage including separable driving and driven elements, a yieldable connection between said platen roller and one of said separable elements through which the latter are brought into engagement with each other when said platen roller is depressed onto the bed, a spring-pressed lever effecting the return travel of said carriage, means for locking said separable elements apart, and means for locking said spring-pressed lever against movement, whereby to permit manual operation of said platen carriage by said push handle.

22. In a duplicating machine, the combination with a platen carriage, of a pan for supporting sheets to be printed, and laterally adjustable partition members mounted on said pan dividing the latter into compartments of suitable width to hold said sheets.

WILHELM K. MOLL. 

